1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector having a locking arm.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prior art connector having a locking arm formed integrally with the outer surface of the connector housing is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 1-112577. The locking arm of the prior art connector includes a base part that is erected from the outer surface of the connector housing. The locking arm also includes an arm part that is cantilevered from the base part and that extends along the outer surface of the connector housing. A locking projection is formed on the outer surface of the arm part, which is the surface that does not confront the outer surface of the connector housing. The connector can be connected with a mating connector. During this connection, the locking projection interferes with the hood of the mating connector. As a result, the locking arm flexes elastically toward the outer surface of the connector housing. When both connectors are placed in the normal fit-in state, the locking arm is restored elastically to its original state, and the locking projection is locked to a locking hole of the hood. As a result, both connectors are locked to each other in the normal fit-in state.
The prior art connector housing accommodates metal terminal fittings which are fixed to ends of electric wires. Several such connectors with wires and terminal fittings are combined with each other to produce a wire harness subassembly. Several wire harness subassemblies are packed in a shipping case by piling them up one upon another for transport.
In the connector having the locking arm, a flexure space is provided between the locking arm and the outer surface of the connector housing. The locking arm is cantilevered and extended over the connector housing. Thus, there is a possibility that foreign matter may penetrate into the flexure space between the locking arm and the outer surface of the connector housing.
The wire harness subassemblies are taken out from the shipping case one by one in a place where the wire harness is assembled. At this time, an electric wire of another wire harness subassembly that is still in the shipping case may penetrate into the flexure space and may be caught by the locking arm. If the wire harness subassembly is to be forcibly taken out from the shipping case in this state, the locking arm of the connector caught by the electric wire is subjected to a force of forcibly displacing the locking arm in a direction away from the outer surface of the connector housing, with the locking arm tilting on the base part acting as the supporting point.
In this event, there is a possibility that the locking arm of the conventional connector can be broken at its base part even though the displacement amount of the locking arm is not very great.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-described situation. Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connector capable of preventing breakage of a locking arm displaced in away from the connector housing.